The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Michael Hinman

Business Digest 09-17-14

By

Multi-chamber mixer
A group of chambers of commerce will host a mixer Sept. 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Catches Waterfront Grille, 7811 Bayview St., in Port Richey.

Participating will be the Central Pasco, Greater Hernando, Tarpon Springs, Trinity-Odessa, and West Pasco chambers of commerce.

It will include complimentary appetizers and a cash bar.

For more information, call (813) 909-2722, or email .

‘Dancing With Our Stars’ returns
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will once again host “Dancing With Our Stars,” with a performance scheduled for Oct. 18.

The chamber still has a few dance slots to fill, as well as a need for volunteers to help behind the scenes for the “stars” who will be trained by dance professionals to perform a short routine.

The overall winner will be based on monetary votes, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting arts programs in the community.

To participate, volunteer or even sponsor, visit CentralPascoChamber.com, or call (813) 909-2722.

East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group has scheduled several speakers for the coming months. The group meets every other week at the Village Inn at 5214 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m.

Upcoming speakers include:

• George Swatzbaugh of Emerald Home Inspection Service LLC, Sept. 23

• Bob Hatfield from U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ office, Oct. 14

• Jack Mariano, Pasco County commissioner, Oct. 28

Catholic Business Networking seeks members
The Catholic Business Networking group is looking for Catholic business owners, employees and supporters interested in joining it for regular meetings every Tuesday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 2348 Collier Parkway, Land O’ Lakes.

The group has annual dues of $60, and there is a minimum attendance requirement of two meetings per month.

For information, call (813) 833-4737, or visit CBNTampa.com.

Business Link available monthly
Business Link, a monthly small business gathering hosted by the San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union, meets the second Wednesday of each month beginning at 7:30 a.m.

The meeting is designed to provide a networking and information-sharing platform for the business community.

For locations, details and to reserve a seat, email , or call (352) 588-2732, ext. 1237.

Zephyrhills chamber board set
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce has named five people to serve a three-year term on its board of directors. They include:

  • Rebecca Gaddis, vice president of business development at San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union
  • Carolyn Hodges, co-owner of Faithful Friends Pet Cremation
  • John Kinsman, owner of Martin Electric
  • Tim Linville, owner of E-Z Clean Car Wash in Zephyrhills and  Dade City
  • Darrell Pennington, retired from CF Industries, and a lifetime honorary member

All five were chosen by majority vote through member elections in August. They join Tom Vanater of Nabers Jewelers and Josh Schneidmiller of Western & Southern Life, who were appointed to serve the remaining terms of two board members who had resigned.

Carolyn Sentelik of Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Foundation will continue into a second term as president of the chamber.

Vendors sought for business expo
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is looking for vendors for its upcoming Community Business Expo, which will take place Nov. 13 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Dan Cannon Auditorium, 36722 State Road 52, in Dade City.

Vendor fees begin at $50 for chamber members, with bundle fees available for $150, which includes space at the expo plus a year membership with the chamber. Sponsorship opportunities are available for $500.

For information, call John Moors or Melody Floyd at (352) 567-3769, or email them at , or .

CareerSource offering employee training
CareerSource Pasco Hernando is offering assistance through the Employed Worker Training program to help businesses stay on the cutting edge of the current, growing economy.

Trained business service consultants are helping companies increase skilled labor productivity and become more competitive in today’s market, the agency said, in a release. The program also provides financial assistance to employers who wish to invest in their employees.

The program also provides up to 50 percent of the employers’ direct training costs to be reimbursed through the agency. Last year, the local CareerSource office helped provide 150 certifications.

For additional information, visit CareerSourcePascoHernando.com, or call Sunnye Fredia at (352) 247-0761.

Wesley Chapel networking group
Networking for Your Success meets every Thursday at 8 a.m., at Lexington Oaks Country, 2615 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Cost is $5, and annual membership to the group is $79.

For information, call (813) 073-1657.

Dade City chamber wants award winners
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce will host its annual awards banquet Oct. 16. With that, it’s seeking nominations for various awards.

Typically, awards are open to members who have been a part of the chamber in good standing for at least a year. Some of the categories include Business Leader of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Civic Association of the Year and Citizen of the Year.

To learn more about how to nominate, contact Jo Uber at the chamber office at (352) 567-3769, or email her at .

Nominations sought for business awards
Bright House Networks and local chambers of commerce are seeking nominations for its second annual Regional Business Awards.

The awards honor companies, organizations and people who have made an impact with their products, services and thought leadership in the business community.

Nominations are currently being accepted through Sept. 26 in four categories ranging from small business to large business, including a category for start-ups.

Bright House will award prizes including commercial television production, airtime, customer newsletter and cash, with a total value of more than $1 million.

Those interested in applying can visit tinyurl.com/BrightHouseAwards.

The winning businesses will be honored at a dinner Feb. 5 at the Tampa Convention Center.

The $100 application fee is waived for members of local participating chambers of commerce.

Political Agenda 09-17-14

By

Remsberg comes out swinging in election fundraising
Erika Remsberg has a tall mountain to climb if she even wants to come close to the amount of money her opponent has raised in the Pasco County Commission District 2 race, but she has started out strong.

The Land O’ Lakes Democrat, who is seeking to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri on the commission, raised $1,075 in the last week of August, the most in a single reporting period for her since the end of June.

As has been her style all along, those dollars were from smaller donations, averaging less than $70 each, according to campaign finance records. That brings Remsberg to just under $6,000 in cash donations compared to the more than $103,400 raised by her Republican challenger, Mike Moore.

Fresh off a primary win against former state lawmaker Ken Littlefield and Zephyrhills financial analyst Bob Robertson, Moore didn’t focus too much on fundraising at the end of August, picking up just $25 — an individual contribution from a Land O’ Lakes resident.

Remsberg immediately put her new money to use, spending more than $1,100 — with more than 81 percent of it spent inside Pasco County. She currently has less than $300 in cash available in her campaign, while Moore has more than $3,600.

Lexington Oaks town hall meeting
A town hall meeting featuring some of November’s political candidates, will take place Oct. 1 at 7 p.m., at the Lexington Oaks Community Center, 26304 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

The event will include Danny Burgess and Beverly Ledbetter, who are running for state House District 38, as well as Mike Moore and Erika Remsberg, who are running for Pasco County Commission District 2.

Also participating is Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, to talk about his new facility off Wesley Chapel Boulevard in Lutz.

Burgess buries Ledbetter in House fundraising
Former Zephyrhills mayor Danny Burgess chalked up his single-best fundraising week yet in his bid to replace Will Weatherford in the state House District 38 seat, after raising $23,275 in the final week of August.

Burgess had originally faced a primary against Minnie Diaz, but after a paperwork issue, Diaz failed to qualify and Burgess became the lone Republican candidate. That allowed him to focus his attention on the November election against former schoolteacher Beverly Ledbetter, who raised just $450 during the same period.

Burgess is finding a lot of support from political action committees and other groups. In fact, $5,000 alone came from PACs like the Committee for a Stronger Florida, the Florida Hospital Association and the Florida Medical Association.

Of the rest of his money, more than $13,000 was from donors outside of his district.

Money inside his district accounted for $5,525 of his donations, or 24 percent for the reporting period, according to state campaign records.

Ledbetter picked up $250 from the Pasco County Democratic Executive Committee, and $200 from a retired Wesley Chapel resident.

Burgess has now raised $110,040 in his bid for Tallahassee, and still has more than $62,700 in the bank. Ledbetter has raised just shy of $19,000, and has more than $14,800 in cash available.

Starkey to host town hall
Pasco County commissioner Kathryn Starkey will host a town hall meeting Sept. 24 beginning at 7 p.m., at Seven Oaks Elementary School, 27633 Mystic Oak Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Starkey will be joined by members of the Pasco County staff, and possibly state Sen. John Legg and state Rep. Will Weatherford, as well.

Among the topics to be discussed include budget issues like the gas tax, an update on new development in the area, a new baseball sports facility, transportation issues — including Overpass Road — and new area schools.

Starkey has hosted several town hall meetings since being elected to the commission in 2012 after spending eight years on the Pasco County School Board.

For information about the town hall, call (727) 847-8100.

Free rides to the polls
Pasco County Public Transportation will do its part to help get out the vote by offering free rides to the polls on election days for the upcoming cycle.

The deal was worked out between PCPT and county elections supervisor Brian Corley, and was approved by the Pasco County Commission last week.

On election day Nov. 4, voters who present their voter information card will ride free to their local polling location. The goal is to encourage and promote participation in the election process, while also introducing public transportation as a viable option for travel throughout the county, said PCPT director Michael Carroll.

In return, Corley’s office will use available media advertising and respective websites to inform potential riders and voters how to access and navigate the transit system.

Outlet mall not ready to spring up quite yet

By

Site work has begun on the Cypress Creek Town Center site near the intersection of State Road 56 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard. It’s just not for the proposed outlet mall in that area.

Instead, dirt has begun to move across the street from the planned 482,000-square-foot mall, where some outparcel retail stores will eventually be built, said Dawn Sutton with Pasco County’s Planning and Development department.

Some activity on a site where some individual retail stores may be located in the future had some residents thinking the proposed outlet mall work was finally beginning. However, that project — across State Road 56 near Wesley Chapel Boulevard — is wrapping up site plan approvals now. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Some activity on a site where some individual retail stores may be located in the future had some residents thinking the proposed outlet mall work was finally beginning. However, that project — across State Road 56 near Wesley Chapel Boulevard — is wrapping up site plan approvals now.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

“There are no site plans for that part of the property just yet,” Sutton said. “Right now, it looks like they are just trying to make it site-ready. It’s not a pad, but more of a central system to get ready for some eventual work there.”

The outlet mall itself, tentatively called Cypress Creek Town Center Premium Outlets Mall, is still going through site plan review, Sutton said. One of the developers involved with Simon Property Group submitted paperwork to the county Sept. 4, all part of the standard back-and-forth between a developer and the county.

If both sides can square away any lingering issues, Simon could start moving its own dirt on the site in 30 days. That means actual construction, once building permits are issued, could get underway before the end of the year.

The mall will almost certainly not hit its originally announced completion date of the end of 2014. In fact, whether the outlet mall will hit the Summer 2015 timeframe county administrator Michele Baker suggested earlier this year is still yet to be seen. Simon did not return an email last week seeking comment.

The entire process for Simon is a little déjà vu, Sutton said.

“The 50 acres that is being planned for the mall sits differently than it did before,” she said. “They have a different layout, and the location is adjusted.”

Simon had originally planned a 1.2 million-square-foot project with 600,000 square feet of retail, and 120,000 square feet of office by 2011. Expanded plans included 350 hotel rooms, 230 apartments, and a 2,582-seat movie theater.

Yet, the east indigo snake and the economy got in the way. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers delayed final environmental approval for years, with one herpetologist telling officials that the land is necessary to help the snake avoid major roadways.

The Army Corps cleared the way for the mall last November.

“We are very excited to be moving forward on this project, and are commencing meetings with the county to determine approvals and a schedule,” Danielle DeVita, senior vice president for development and acquisition at Simon, said in a statement last year.

Simon still needs to finalize its site layout, which would require approval by Pasco County commissioners. However, Sutton doesn’t anticipate their being any additional controversy with the site.

Some of the land work on the mall site had already been done back in 2007, said Carol Clarke, assistant planning and development administrator for the county.

“There was earth working done there, which was part of what they were initially going to do,” Clarke said. “They have this new plan, but it looks like they are endeavoring to use as much of the existing infrastructure there as they can.”

Simon is joined on the project by JG Cypress Creek LLC and Tampa Premium Outlets LLC, and is expected to be built in seven phases, according to plans submitted last April. The overall project will consist of nine buildings, and nearly 2,400 parking spaces. The complete project is expected to offer 1.1 million square feet of commercial space.

Published September 10, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Twins set to become second-generation Eagle Scouts

By

Last year, only 7 percent of all Boy Scouts achieved the organization’s highest honor — the Eagle Scout rank. Yet, fraternal twin brothers Joseph Nystrom II and Jonathan Nystrom will officially earn that final badge — even though they’ll only be able to wear it for six days.

“The ceremony is on Sept. 20, but our birthday is on Sept. 26,” said Joseph, who is two minutes older than his brother. “Once we turn 18, we won’t be able to wear it.”

Twin brothers Jonathan Nystrom, left, and Joseph Nystrom II, will be awarded Boy Scout of America’s highest honor Sept. 20, when each receives the Eagle Scout rank. Jonathan created a portable storage container for a fishing camp in Lakeland, while Joseph did landscaping work, including shrubbery like they’re posing with at St. Rita Catholic Church. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Twin brothers Jonathan Nystrom, left, and Joseph Nystrom II, will be awarded Boy Scout of America’s highest honor Sept. 20, when each receives the Eagle Scout rank. Jonathan created a portable storage container for a fishing camp in Lakeland, while Joseph did landscaping work, including shrubbery like they’re posing with at St. Rita Catholic Church.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

The Nystrom brothers will actually become second-generation Eagle Scouts, following in the footsteps of their father, Dr. Joseph Nystrom, a family practice doctor in Zephyrhills. They each earned at least 21 merit badges, served six months in a troop leadership position, and planned a project that will leave a lasting legacy in the community.

Joseph wrapped up his project a few weeks ago, constructing a landscaping project, volleyball court and a bench at his family’s church, St. Rita Catholic Church in Dade City. Jonathan got his project going much earlier, building a portable fishing storage unit for the Teneroc Youth Conservation Center in Lakeland late last year.

“This summer camp program had 260 fishing rods in a shed that just wasn’t organized at all,” Jonathan said. “They wanted me to build some way to hold all of them, and store them, and be transportable. It took me three months, but it’s made out of steel, and that thing is going to last 20 years.”

Joseph’s project kept him a little closer to home, paying close attention to a neighboring religious school building that needed some attention.

“Surrounding the CCD building is a whole bunch of shrubbery, and it didn’t look very good,” Joseph said. “I decided I wanted to redo it. But then the church’s Life Teen group wanted something for kids to do while they waited for their families at church, and asked for volleyball posts and stuff, so I built that, too.”

Both decided to wait for the official Eagle ceremony so that they could do it together. The brothers are part of Boy Scout Troop 311, which meets in San Antonio. They both started as Cub Scouts, working their way up.

“We made really good friends in the troop, and there are a lot of good people there,” Joseph said.

“You are responsible for helping the troop grow, and you want to help out and make it a better troop,” Jonathan said. “You really appreciate the skills you learn in Scouts.”

Since joining the Boy Scouts in 2008, Jonathan has earned 29 merit badges, and was admitted to the Order of the Arrow — the national honor society of Boy Scouts — in March 2013. Joseph also has a place in Order of the Arrow, and earned 21 merit badges.

They both have stories for each one of their badges — but not all of them are good.

“My personal management badge was the worst,” Joseph said with a laugh. “That was three months of keeping track of receipts and money. I am just horrible at paperwork, so it was the last thing I wanted to do.”

But there are some fun badges as well, including ones that allowed the two to go whitewater rafting in North Carolina.

“We went down all these different rivers, and some were super dangerous, which made it 10 times more fun,” Joseph said. “A couple of times, they had to shut down parts of the Chattooga River because it was that bad.”

Another trip took the two to Minnesota where they rowed 132 miles in a canoe.

Joseph and Jonathan are seniors at Pasco High School, where Joseph is on the swim team, and Jonathan a right fielder with the baseball team. Both are in dual enrollment, taking classes with Pasco-Hernando State College, and neither has really started to look at colleges yet.

“We’re thinking about the University of South Florida,” Jonathan said. “We’re still trying to plan things out.”

“Yeah,” Joseph said. “We need to start applying fast.”

The Eagle Scout ceremony will take place in the St. Anthony of Padua parish hall in San Antonio Sept. 20 at 2 p.m.

Published September 10, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Bikers honor first responders with annual Gratitude Ride

By

Wayne Mancarella knew it would be a long day on his motorcycle, beginning with a trip from his home in Largo to the Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club in Wesley Chapel.

Local roads between Wesley Chapel and Dade City welcomed hundreds of motorcycles on Sept. 6 as the 9/11 Gratitude Ride commenced, honoring the local heroes of Pasco County Fire Rescue. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Local roads between Wesley Chapel and Dade City welcomed hundreds of motorcycles on Sept. 6 as the 9/11 Gratitude Ride commenced, honoring the local heroes of Pasco County Fire Rescue.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

But there was nowhere else Mancarella wanted to be. He joined hundreds of other bikers for the 9/11 Gratitude Ride, raising money for the Pasco County Fire Rescue Benevolent Fund to make sure families of fallen first responders were well taken care of.

“Sometimes we take both the cops and our firefighters for granted,” Mancarella said. “I’m glad there are people out there like them willing to do all the things we need them to do. There’s no one else like them.”

The 9/11 Gratitude Ride is now in its fifth year, settling in at its home at Quail Hollow through the work of Land O’ Lakes Realtor Dan Turner. The Sept. 6 event not only pooled together money to help who Turner called local heroes, but to honor the men and women who died trying to rescue people during the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

“Make no mistake about it, this is a 9/11 event,” Turner told the crowd on Saturday. “We call it the Gratitude Ride because we can’t go to New York, we can’t go to Pennsylvania, we can’t go to Washington, to express our gratitude to the emergency workers there. So what better way to express our gratitude to the local men and women who protect us every single day.”

The parade of motorcycles traveled more than 50 miles from Quail Hollow that morning to visit Pasco County Fire Rescue stations in Dade City and Zephyrhills. There, bikers met with firefighters and paramedics, learning more about what they do, and the dangers they face every day.

“As the events of Sept. 11, 2001, unfolded, these men and women ran into those two buildings, they ran into the Pentagon, they ran out to the grass site in Pennsylvania,” Turner said. “It was all to do one thing — to save people like you and me. That is what they do. As we are running from danger, what are they doing? They are running into it.”

After the visit to the fire stations, crowds returned to Quail Hollow for an afternoon event that included food, vendors, and live music from The Greg Billings Band.

Final numbers from the recent event were not available, but past Gratitude Rides have raised more than $6,000 for the benevolent fund.

Published September 10, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

An era ends: Cash tolls go extinct on Veterans

By

Toll roads have been a part of American life since the first such paths opened for business in Pennsylvania and New York in the late 18th century.

From the very beginning, passage on these roads required horse riders — and later vehicle drivers — to come face-to-face with a toll collector. But not anymore.

The Sugarwood toll plaza on the Veterans Expressway is undergoing construction as tollbooths are removed and electronic sensors read the vehicle’s prepaid SunPass. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
The Sugarwood toll plaza on the Veterans Expressway is undergoing construction as tollbooths are removed and electronic sensors read the vehicle’s prepaid SunPass.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

Last week, the Veterans Expressway parted ways with its last toll collector when the Florida Department of Transportation officially closed the Sugarwood plaza just south of the Pasco County line. It’s the end of an era, as drivers no longer need to rummage for loose change in their car. Instead, SunPass transponders and license plate scanners will help drivers pay the required toll as cash itself becomes obsolete on the Veterans.

“Unlike the old days, back when we first built the Florida Turnpike in the 1950s, most of the people who use roads like this are not people on a leisurely vacation drive,” said Christa Deason, public information officer for Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise. “Now they are commuters, and they are on a fast track to get to work in the morning, and get home at night. They want to keep driving.”

Sugarwood accepted its last cash toll around midnight Sept. 4. By late Friday afternoon, drivers heading north or south on the Veterans no longer had to stop. Technology had won.

When the Veterans Expressway first opened in 1994, traveling the 15-mile stretch was possible only by cash or a rarely used prepaid card that required a hefty cash balance. FDOT introduced SunPass on the Veterans in 2001 after a successful rollout two years earlier on the Florida Turnpike.

At first, SunPass was embraced by a select few, but that has changed over the years, Deason said. Now a third of Florida’s drivers are SunPass users, and 84 percent of travelers on the Veterans and the Suncoast Parkway have a transponder in their car.

“This is just a logical evolution of the road,” Deason said. “Fewer and fewer people were paying cash, and we’ve been phasing out collectors ever since.”

The introduction of the Suncoast in 2001 has caused traffic to explode on the Veterans, especially Pasco residents looking to get to jobs in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, Deason said.

In its first year, more than 19,500 cars drove through the Anderson toll plaza each day, while 8,600 ventured past Sugarwood. Now, Anderson welcomes 59,400 cars each day, while Sugarwood deals with 44,200.

That prompted the state to spend $380 million to not only convert the Veterans to cash-free tolling, but to expand the roadway to six lanes. It’s created a mess along the road, with commuters having to navigate through construction cones. But this could be the last major construction project on the Veterans … ever.

“We don’t have any more room to expand the road,” said Tracie Rose, a Lutz-based project engineer with Jacobs Engineering, the firm contracted by FDOT to complete the work. “This will be as wide as we get. So it’s going to have to last us.”

Now that the toll conversion is complete, work crews can fully concentrate on widening the road. But even with that focus, the project won’t be completed until 2016.

Deason didn’t have an exact count of the number of toll collectors the Veterans employed at its peak, but did say that the state has been winding down hiring new collectors over the past several years. The few that were left up to last week have either moved on, or are getting help from the company that managed the toll collectors.

“We had some long-term employees,” Deason said. “We even had one or two that started out on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge back when they accepted tokens. Some of them took this opportunity to finally get that chance to retire.”
The tollbooths located along the Suncoast, including the one between State Road 54 and State Road 52, will remain the way it is. Cash tolls are still collected in those main plazas, with the option of using a full-speed express lane around the plaza for those with SunPass.

Just so you know …
Michael Hinman, the reporter for this story, spent a little bit of time as a toll collector himself. He worked at both the Anderson Road and Sugarwood toll plazas in the mid-1990s, not long after the Veterans Expressway first opened.

Published September 10, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Business Digest 09-10-14

By

ME Hobbies opens in Lutz
ME Hobbies has opened a new store at 1904 Oak Grove Blvd., in Lutz, and will host a grand opening and ribbon cutting on Sept. 13.

“We’ve enjoyed hobbies our whole lives, and want to share that with the community,” said Edward Karpoich, the chief executive of ME Hobbies, in a release.

The grand opening will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with music by Koss Music, face painting by Fuentes Fantabulous Facepainting, balloons, free train rides, and free food, ice cream and drinks provided by Sam’s Club in Wesley Chapel.

The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce will host the weekend event.

CareerSource offering employee training
CareerSource Pasco Hernando is offering assistance through the Employed Worker Training program to help businesses stay on the cutting edge of the current, growing economy.

Trained business service consultants are helping companies increase skilled labor productivity and become more competitive in today’s market, the agency said, in a release. The program also provides financial assistance to employers who wish to invest in their employees.

The program also provides up to 50 percent of the employers’ direct training costs to be reimbursed through the agency. Last year, the local CareerSource office helped provide 150 certifications.

For additional information, visit CareerSourcePascoHernando.com, or call Sunnye Fredia at (352) 247-0761.

Mixer, luncheon with PHHCC
The Pasco Hernando Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will host a mixer Sept. 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at BB&T, 26644 Silver Maple Parkway in Wesley Chapel.

The chamber will host a luncheon Sept. 16 at 11:30 a.m., at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 20735 Leonard Road in Lutz.

WC Chamber mixer
The Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce will host a mixer Sept. 11 at 6 p.m., at Hyundai of Wesley Chapel, 27000 Wesley Chapel Blvd.

The event includes food, beverages, music, prizes and on-site chair massages.

Wesley Chapel networking group
Networking for Your Success meets every Thursday at 8 a.m., at Lexington Oaks Country, 2615 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Cost is $5, and annual membership to the group is $79.

For information, call (813) 073-1657.

Dade City chamber wants award winners
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce will host its annual awards banquet Oct. 16. With that, it’s seeking nominations for various awards.

Typically, awards are open to members who have been a part of the chamber in good standing for at least a year. Some of the categories include Business Leader of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Civic Association of the Year and Citizen of the Year.

To learn more about how to nominate, contact Jo Uber at the chamber office at (352) 567-3769, or email her at .

Nominations sought for business awards
Bright House Networks and local chambers of commerce are seeking nominations for its second annual Regional Business Awards.

The awards honor companies, organizations and people who have made an impact with their products, services and thought leadership in the business community.

Nominations are currently being accepted through Sept. 26 in four categories ranging from small business to large business, including a category for start-ups.

Bright House will award prizes including commercial television production, airtime, customer newsletter and cash, with a total value of more than $1 million.

Those interested in applying can visit tinyurl.com/BrightHouseAwards.

The winning businesses will be honored at a dinner Feb. 5 at the Tampa Convention Center.

The $100 application fee is waived for members of local participating chambers of commerce.

Bank stands up to cancer
Fifth Third Bank has returned its “Pay to the Order Of” campaign that earlier this year raised more than $2.3 million for Stand Up to Cancer.

The campaign was first launched in January and leverages new checking accounts to help drive donations that support collaborative cancer research programs, the company said in a release. For each new customer who opens a checking account with direct deposit, and makes three online bill payments, Fifth Third will give $150 to the customer and donate $150 to the cancer organization, more commonly known as SU2C.

The campaign runs through Oct. 17.

Bank offers student sweepstakes
Fifth Third Bank has launched its annual Student Banking Sweepstakes.

Through Sept. 30, students who open a checking account will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes offering $10,000 toward college tuition.

Last year’s winner was Tre’ Watson, a rising football star at Tampa Catholic High School.

For more information, visit 53.com/students.

Kumquat Festival selling sponsorship packages
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce is now accepting reservation packages for the 2015 Kumquat Festival, set to take place Jan. 31.

Packages start at $500, and include logos and links on the KumquatFestival.org website, as well as booth space at the festival. Premier packages, which run from $1,000 to $5,000, include additional features.

The event is expected to draw 45,000 people from Florida, who live here seasonally, and who are visiting.

For information, call John Moors at (352) 567-3769, or email .

Upcoming Rotary Club of Lutz meetings
The Rotary Club of Lutz meets every Tuesday at 7 a.m., at Heritage Harbor Golf & Country Club, 19502 Heritage Harbor Parkway in Lutz.

Cost is $10 and includes a continental breakfast, juice and coffee. Visitors are welcome.

Upcoming speakers include:

• Sept. 16 — Jessica Spencer on Amendment 2

• Sept. 23 — Dr. Paul Bowman on skin cancer prevention and treatment

• Sept. 30 — Kim Thompson on the secret behind nutrition labels

• Oct. 7 — Maj. Ruth VanDyke, an author discussing her book on women in the military

• Oct. 14 — Diane Kortus, president and owner of The Laker/Lutz News

• Oct. 21 — U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis

• Oct. 28 — Michael Walters on water management

• Nov. 4 — Byron Poore on what successful investing and salsa have in common

For information, call (813) 857-7089.

East Pasco Networking Group
The East Pasco Networking Group has scheduled several speakers for the coming months. The group meets every other week at the Village Inn at 5214 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. Networking begins at 8 a.m., with the meeting starting at 8:30 a.m.

Upcoming speakers include:

• George Swatzbaugh of Emerald Home Inspection Service LLC, Sept. 23

• Bob Hatfield from U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ office, Oct. 14

• Jack Mariano, Pasco County commissioner, Oct. 28

Also, the group will have its early fall mixer Sept. 16.

Political Agenda 09-10-14

By

(Courtesy of Erika Remsberg)
(Courtesy of Erika Remsberg)

A moment with Crist
Beverly Ledbetter, the Democratic candidate for Florida House District 38, poses with Democratic gubernatorial candidate, and former governor, Charlie Crist during the West Central Florida Federation of Labor/United School Employees of Pasco Labor Day event.

Lieutenant governor coming to Zephyrhills
The Conservative Club of East Pasco will host Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera on Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m., at the Zephyrhills Woman’s Club, 38549 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills.

Lopez-Cantera was born in Madrid, Spain, and graduated from Miami-Dade College before receiving his MBA at the University of Miami.

He’s a former majority whip in the Florida House of Representatives, and was elected the property appraiser of Miami-Dade County in 2012 before earning the appointment as lieutenant governor following the resignation of Jennifer Carroll.

For information, call Nils Lenz at (813) 782-9491, or email .

Audit comes up perfect for Pasco
A random check of three precincts by an elections canvassing board resulted in perfect marks for the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections office during last month’s primary election.

The audit conducted manual counts of select races at those precincts, and compared them to the totals aggregated by computer on election night, looking for any count discrepancies.

The canvassing board checked precincts at Trilby Lodge on Old Trilby Road in Dade City, Betmar Acres on Apache Street in Zephyrhills, and Shady Oaks on Castle Drive in Zephyrhills.

Pasco housing committee to meet
Pasco County’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee will have its first meeting Sept. 15 beginning at 9 a.m., at the Central Pasco Government Center, 4111 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

For information, email

East Pasco Democrats to meet
The East Pasco Democratic Club will meet Sept. 15 at 7 p.m., at The Commons, 38130 Pretty Pond Road, in Zephyrhills.

Speakers will be Beverly Ledbetter and Erika Remsberg. Ledbetter is the Democratic Candidate for Florida House District 38, while Remsberg is the Democratic candidate for Pasco County Commission District 2.

Landscaper at PACA meeting
Chris Dewey, the Florida Friendly Landscaping program coordinator for the Pasco County Cooperative Extension office, will be the guest speaker at the Pasco Alliance of Community Associations monthly meeting Sept. 11 at 7 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

PACA is a not-for-profit organization whose members include 70 of Pasco County’s homeowners associations, community development districts and condominium associations, as well as individuals residing in Pasco County.

For information, call Ron Litts at (813) 475-4561.

Burgess to hold barbecue fundraiser
Danny Burgess, the Republican candidate for Florida House District 38, will host a barbecue fundraiser Sept. 20, beginning at 6 p.m., at the Nathe barn, 16530 Jessamine Road in Dade City.

For information, call Patsy Nathe at (352) 588-3107, or Jean Nathe at (813) 783-4364.

Poll workers needed for November elections
Energetic? Service-oriented? Then the Pasco County supervisor of elections may be looking for you.

Poll workers are needed for the general election Nov. 4. Positions are paid, but potential candidates will need to be able to stand, bend, stoop, lift approximately 30 pounds, and have normal vision and manual and physical dexterity.

Applicants also need to write and read English, have an email address, and be able to work the entire day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All positions receive mandatory paid training the month preceding the election.

For information, call (800) 851-8754, or visit PascoVotes.com.

Moore fundraiser
Mike Moore, the Republican candidate for Pasco County Commission District 2, will host a fundraiser Sept. 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Beef O’ Brady’s, 14136 Seventh St., in Dade City.

For information, email .

Mobile hours for Ross
U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, will host mobile office hours Oct. 14 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the Lutz Library, 101 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz.

The final date for mobile hours after this will be Dec. 9.

For more information, call (863) 644-8215, or (813) 752-4790.

Free rides to the polls
Pasco County Public Transportation will do its part to help get out the vote by offering free rides to the polls on election days for the upcoming cycle.

The deal was worked out between PCPT and county elections supervisor Brian Corley, and was approved by the Pasco County Commission last week.

On election day Nov. 4, voters who present their voter information card will ride free to their local polling location. The goal is to encourage and promote participation in the election process, while also introducing public transportation as a viable option for travel throughout the county, said PCPT director Michael Carroll.

In return, Corley’s office will use available media advertising and respective websites to inform potential riders and voters how to access and navigate the transit system.

Pasco commissioners approve 5-cent gas tax

By

Major road projects in Pasco County have funding once again after outgoing commissioner Henry Wilson Jr., negotiated a hard no vote against a 5-cent gas tax increase to a yes.

Pasco County commissioners needed four out of five to approve the additional tax, which would raise $8 million annually for road projects that would’ve otherwise been delayed. Wilson, who voted against the tax last year with Commissioner Jack Mariano, decided to make the change after a personal appeal by Commissioner Ted Schrader, and an agreement to end the tax if state lawmakers present a new revenue source.

“We’re all in a lose-lose situation, primarily me,” Wilson said during Tuesday’s afternoon meeting in Dade City. “If I say yes to the gas tax after I said no every single time before, I will be labeled as a flip-flopper. If I say no to it today, I’m ostracized by the people who are trying to build here.”

Wilson, however, says he makes decisions based on the future of his two children. Schrader says he does the same thing, but feels that passing the tax on to property owners through a millage increase would put too much burden on residents, and not share the cost of building new roads by all the people who use them.

“Unfortunately, my children could not find adequate employment in Pasco County, and they are working in other places,” Schrader said. “I would suspect that you would elect for your children to have those opportunities to have good high-paying jobs in this immediate market area, and that is one thing that maybe you would contemplate.”

Wilson offered a compromise based on his work in Tallahassee to release some of the state-collected real-estate transfer fee. During the election, Wilson had pushed for that money to be made available to counties like Pasco so that it could be applied to roads.

By many estimates, Pasco County could receive $18 million each year from those fees if it were released by the Legislature, which would then be split with the school board. Still, the $9 million would be more than the $8 million a 5-cent gas tax would raise.

David Goldstein, one of the attorneys representing Pasco, said that he could add language to the gas tax ordinance that would allow such a tax to end if those funds became available to the county, and was approved by both state lawmakers and county commissioners. Wilson said the proposal stalled in Tallahassee during the last session because the majority of commissioners didn’t express support for the effort.

With the change, Wilson joined Schrader, Pat Mulieri and Kathryn Starkey to support the 5-cent gas tax. That means the commissioners will no longer explore raising property taxes to fund roads this year.

Mariano continued his opposition to the tax, saying there were other options the county could consider, and that this would have too much of a negative impact on business.

For more details on the discussion and the decision, pick up the Sept. 17 edition of The Laker/Lutz News.

San Antonio takes St. Leo to court over development

By

San Antonio is taking St. Leo to court — that is, unless St. Leo town officials work out a settlement with its neighbor instead.

City officials in San Antonio filed a suit against St. Leo in Pasco County’s Sixth Judicial Circuit claiming town officials there violated its comprehensive land use plan and development codes by allowing what San Antonio has called an “industrial style” facility in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

The conflict is over a proposed plant operations facility on property owned by Saint Leo University off Pompanic Street.

“The construction of the facility at this location is inconsistent with the rural character of the community and the adjacent residential uses,” said Brian Bolves, San Antonio’s attorney, in a release.

The placement of the facility violates the provisions of St. Leo’s land development code, Bolves said, since it is being constructed on a hillside overlooking Lake Jovita. It would be visible from State Road 52, McMullen Drive, Lake Jovita and Pompanic, which the lawsuit says conflicts with St. Leo’s code designed to protect hillside views in the area.

A request for comment from St. Leo attorney Patricia Petruff was pending return.

Bolves is asking a judge to stop Saint Leo University from building the project, claiming it will create a “hazardous condition endangering the lives of the residents of the community and general public,” according to a release.

Yet, Bolves says he’s trying to avoid going to court. He has invited St. Leo officials to sit down and negotiate — as long as no work is done on the Saint Leo project during those negotiations. Otherwise, Bolves said he will have the lawsuit served on St. Leo’s mayor, Richard Christmas.

The Saint Leo facility, according to the lawsuit, would be 16,000 square feet of offices and storage and warehouse space. It would include 15 on-site parking spaces, with a single access point for both cars and trucks on Pompanic.

Kim Payne, a spokesman for Saint Leo University, told The Laker/Lutz News the school is “committed to constructing the plant operations building and look forward to beginning the project soon.”

St. Leo approved the university’s plans on Aug. 11. Bolves has given St. Leo until Sept. 15 to respond.

Updated 9/8/14, 11:01 p.m., to include comment from Saint Leo University.